Perfect Strangers is a sitcom television series which ran for eight seasons from 1986 through 1993 on ABC. The show was moved around in the prime-time lineup and eventually landed on Fridays as part of TGIF. It is about Larry Appleton (Mark Linn-Baker), a high-strung Chicago resident, sharing his apartment with his distant cousin Balki Bartokomous (Bronson Pinchot), a shepherd from the (fictional) island nation of Mypos. Balki is naive, idealistic, and new to America; he often misunderstands the culture (with humorous results). Many episode plots involve Larry's schemes getting the better of him, causing him to subsequently need Balki's rescue. The series is rich in slapstick physical comedy.
Although Balki's home country of Mypos is discussed as an independent nation on the show, it is evident that it is based on the Greek isles. The Myposian accent Pinchot performed in the series was originally based on a Greek accent, but later into the show is morphed into more of a Russian dialect. Balki's catch phrase is, "Of course not, don't be ridiculous!" (usually said in response to having been found out for something he did). Balki and Larry occasionally celebrate good fortune by dancing the "Dance of Joy," a silly cross between a Dosado and the Hokey Pokey.
Synopsis
The series begins in 1986 with Larry living in an apartment somewhere in Chicago (a few different addresses were mentioned — the actual building, which has since been torn down, was on the south side of downtown Los Angeles). Balki moved in with Larry in the first episode. Their apartment is above the Ritz Discount Store, where they work for Donald Twinkacetti (Ernie Sabella), who was also their landlord. In the beginning, the show has a very 80s flavor, with Balki singing songs and making references that have become somewhat dated. Susan (Lise Cutter), Larry's original girlfriend in the series, is replaced early on by Jennifer Lyons (Melanie Wilson), who lives upstairs with her roommate and Balki's girlfriend, Mary Anne Spencer (Rebeca Arthur).
At the beginning of the third season, in 1987, Larry and Balki get jobs together in the basement of the Chicago Chronicle, a fictitious newspaper, with Larry Burns (Eugene Roache) as their boss. Larry worked as a journalist and Balki worked in the mailroom. They worked with Sam Gorpley (Sam Anderson), who was head of the mailroom and Balki's boss, and Miss Lydia (Belita Moreno), who wrote an advice column for the chronicle. They also worked with Harriet Winslow (Jo Marie Payton-Noble), who was the elevator operator at the Chronicle in the third and fourth seasons. She left the show in 1989 to do the show Family Matters where she played the same character (see Family Matters section below). Mr. Wainwright (F. J. O'Neill) was Larry's boss at the Chronicle, after Eugene Roache left the show.
At the beginning of the seventh season, in 1991, Perfect Strangers began to change. Larry and Jennifer got married at the beginning of the season, moved into a house along with Mary Anne and Balki as roommates. Balki and Mary Anne got married at the end of the season. More emphasis was placed on the romantic relationships, and Larry's "plans" became more far-fetched. By this point, the flavor of the series had changed completely; by some it is considered to have jumped the shark when Larry and Balki married their girlfriends, moved into a huge castle-like house, and were promoted to the top floor at the Chronicle. On February 1, 1992, Perfect Strangers had moved from its traditional Friday night slot on ABC's TGIF to a new "I Love Saturday" lineup, along with Who's the Boss, Growing Pains and Capitol Critters.
The show went on hiatus in August 1992 (the last first-run episode aired before this was on April 18, 1992). The show did not return from its hiatus until July 9, 1993 for its final (8th) season of six episodes. The last season of off-the-wall episodes had their impact diminished by the fact that the series had been on hiatus for around a year, and that the last season was aired during the summer, when most shows are in reruns. The series ended on August 6 with a two-part episode where Larry, Balki and Jennifer went up in a hot-air balloon to try to induce labor, after Mary Anne had already given birth before Jennifer. After both families had given birth, the show ended with a heartwarming musical montage of memorable scenes from the series.
As of March 2006, the show is not yet available on DVD.
Mypos
Mypos is the island country in which Balki Bartokomous is from. It has some customs which are unusual by American standards. Cuisine includes:
- halkidiki: a Myposian travel food which consists of eggs, flour, milk, goat splene set out at room temperature until it gets that "little green fur" (as Balki described it).
- booglie muzacman: pig bladder stuffed with cheese.
Customs include a bed time: in the middle of the day, someone rings a bell, and each person lays down to take a nap whereever xe happens to be. On Mypos when it is a person's birthday, the person whose birthday it is gives presents to other people.
The king of Mypos was King Ferdinand, who was king until 1991. It is not known when he became king, but it was prior to 1986. After King Ferdinand died in 1991, the queen of Mypos was Queen Cookie.
Episodes
- Main article: List of Perfect Strangers episodes
There were a total of eight seasons of the series. The first and last seasons were six episodes each, and the second through seventh seasons had between 22 and 24 episodes each. There were a total of 150 episodes in the series.
Family Matters
- Main article: Family Matters (television)
Perfect Strangers spawned the spinoff series Family Matters, also set in Chicago, which ran from 1989 to 1998. The connection is that Harriette Winslow was a co-worker of Larry and Balki at the Chicago Chronicle. It is revealed in the third episode of Family Matters that they fired Harriette from the chronicle because they decided to go self-service. Linn-Baker appeared in one of the final episodes of the show playing a completely different character (as a mean boss); oddly enough, the character of Harriet was going to be replaced by a different actress a few episodes later.
Trivia
- Larry moved from Wisconsin to Chicago to pursue his career in journalism, so his last name was inspired by the Wisconsin city Appleton.
- Balki's catchphrase ("Of course not, don't be ridiculous!") is a reference to Bronson Pinchot's character in Beverly Hills Cop, Serge, who says "Of course not, don't be stupid."
External links
